Joel was struck by how empty the house felt. He’d not been back since Alice died a few days ago in home-hospice. He’d stayed with his son’s family until the funeral this morning. Now he had to go on with his life.

As he puttered around in the kitchen trying to decide which of the customary food gifts to have for supper, the door opened and Ellie, his only granddaughter, breezed in. Putting the big bottle of wine on the counter, she gave him a big hug and announced, “I thought you might like some company so here I am!”

Living with her parents only a few miles away, a nice bike ride, she’d grown up visiting him and Alice frequently, often staying over like a second home. Looking over the abundant food, she got some affirmatives and set about preparing the plates. “Aren’t you going to offer me some wine?” she said with mock petulance. Joel found some wine glasses and they toasted the departed and moving on to the future. He wondered about that, being retired and 71 years old.

As Joel watched a slim 19-year-old busying herself in the kitchen, he felt more at peace. She was a dear and he loved her like a daughter. During Alice’s slow decline over the last year Ellie had frequently found time in her busy college schedule to spend time with them and relieve him of some of the caregiver burden.

After they cleaned up the kitchen they settled down on the couch to watch an episode of Nova on public television. This factual and interesting show help distract them from the feelings of the day and Ellie snuggled over by him holding her third glass of wine.

When the show was over she made no signs that she was leaving. Realizing her grandpa’s unspoken question, she stated, “I’d like to spend tonight here like I did so often when I was growing up.” He nodded his agreement and went to get ready for bed.

He read a book he’d been working on for a while and then turned off the light. Before he fell asleep the door opened and Ellie entered. He thought maybe she’d come to kiss him good night but instead she pulled back the covers and got under them, snuggling up to him.

She whispered, “I need to be with you right now.” What could he say? He felt awful lonely too and so put an arm around her and they laid there quietly until sleep came.

When dawn arrived so did morning wood and it was pressed up against his sleeping granddaughter. But she wasn’t sleeping and when she saw his eyelids flutter she hugged him tight even though he was embarrassed to have his erection pressing against her body, only covered by a long T-shirt. He was wearing boxers and hoped it hadn’t found its way through the opening in the front.

Still holding him tight she whispered, “How long has it been since you had sex?”

He thought, “What a question from a granddaughter!” But he gave an honest answer, “It’s been more than a year and we didn’t do it often before that.”

Ellie reached down, found the opening in his boxers and cradled the rigid shaft in her hand, “This nice thing feels like it needs some attention and I would be happy to provide it.”

Startled as hell, Joel protested, “But your my granddaughter!”

She chuckled briefly and said, “Who better to be sure that you get good loving?” She began slowly rubbing his organ and his will to resist was fading fast. She ordered, “Please touch me too!” She sat up and peeled off her T-shirt and scooted her little cotton panties off as well. While she was at it she removed his boxers and then laid down next to him.

He made one more feeble attempt to protest until she said sternly, “No more talking! This is touching time!”

Joel had only been with one other woman and that was a brief affair before he met Alice so this was practically a new experience. Her touch was divine on his shaft and testicles and his own fingers hadn’t fondled breasts so firm in many decades. As he sucked and squeezed and teased them, Ellie gave out little sounds that indicated how much she was enjoying it.

After while she took his hand moved it down to her crotch. She’d raised one leg so he could fondle her fur and explore her nether lips, already moistened with her arousal. It wasn’t long before she moaned, “I want you inside me! Please!”

Positioning himself between her upraised knees, he entered easily, bottoming in only three strokes. She kissed him like a lover, not a grandpa and began moving her hips in many directions as he held himself fully embedded. That was something Alice had never done and it was delightful. He could hear her rising to a climax and he felt his own surge just before hers hit. After a very short time, she rolled them on their sides with him still buried inside her.

They lay quietly coupled for good while, neither one knowing exactly what to say. Finally Ellie broke the silence, “That was wonderful and very different than any sex I’ve ever had. I’m so glad I stayed!”

They took a shower together and got dressed for breakfast. Both of them spent the morning going through Alice’s things, beginning the process of letting go. All conversation just focused on the task.

At lunch, Ellie served some wine again and after things were put away she said, “Could we go back to bed? I’d like to talk to you about earlier and I want to do it with nothing between us.”

Joel wasn’t going to argue with a pretty girl that wanted to get naked and readily complied. This time he took the lead in the conversation, “You’ve obviously had sex before and are quite comfortable with it, aren’t you?”

She smiled and reached for his erection, “I gave up my virginity three years ago and I’ve had six lovers since. It’s been kind of a serial monogamy until this morning. I do have a boyfriend that I have sex with. We go out and do a lot of things together and enjoy our time in bed but I’m not in love with him. I am in love with you but it’s certainly a different kind than the romantic stuff you read about, although love is what made our sex this morning so unusually good. I’m still trying to sort it out and it might take a while for both of us but I, for one, would like to keep working at it.”

Joel responded, “I think I would too and, yes, this is very different than the love I had for Alice. I’ve a question though, are you still going to have sex with your boyfriend?”

Ellie pondered that for a moment and then smiled and said, “I don’t think it will take away from anything that you and I have so I would like to as long as it doesn’t interfere.”